10 secrets for the correct placement of a painting on the wall

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Paintings decorate absolutely any room. They fit organically into the interior and add some charm. The living room is the central part of the apartment.

This is where guests are usually greeted and free time spent. By the design of this room one can judge the taste and social status of the owner of the apartment.

One of the most important items in decor is paintings for the living room. Only after a long period of time did the paintings begin to be selected in accordance with the design of the room.

Previously, in small-sized apartments one could see frames made of stucco with gilded designs, which did not exactly fit into the interior of the room.

Modern paintings for the living room are the main accent and highlight of the home.

If you have doubts about which picture to hang on the wall in the living room, then stop at the classic option.

This product model involves a wooden frame depicting a still life or landscape. Choose a theme in accordance with the design of the living room or the image of your area, for example, a beautiful bridge or castle.

Take into account all the details of the style of your apartment, ideally combine the design with the color scheme of the room.

For example, a Russian winter landscape will look good in a classic interior. And, if you hang Moroccan motifs, they will look out of place.

Paintings in the living room interior should be a continuation of the design, so you should think about what will be depicted in advance.

Backlight

Lighting of canvases is of great importance. But if in a museum they can be placed along one wall and lamps installed above each, then in an apartment it is better to use good natural lighting. Additional lighting can be useful when glare appears or you want to focus attention on the wall. For these purposes, it is better to use LED lamps that do not heat up and create a directional ceiling of light.

Important! The maximum permissible illumination for painting is 150 lux. You can use a 100W incandescent lamp or a 20W fluorescent lamp. They should be located at least 1 m from the canvas.

Photo wallpaper

An interesting solution is to decorate with photo wallpaper. You shouldn’t give up on this design, thinking that photo wallpapers are a thing of the distant past. Today you can purchase options with interesting effects that will become a real decoration of the living room. For example, images with a depth effect, as they are called, photo wallpapers with projection allow you to create not only original interior decoration, but also visually enlarge a small room.

Photo wallpaper with a depth effect on the wall behind the sofa – photo

Among the photo wallpapers there are other interesting images, for example, futuristic, fantasy - which will appeal to fantasy lovers.

An interesting idea on how to decorate a wall is to decorate it with photo wallpapers that imitate some natural or finishing materials, for example:

• stone,
• tree,
• brick.

Today, stone, wood, and concrete walls have become real hits.

In a small apartment, photo wallpaper in light colors with well-designed lighting will visually enlarge the interior and emphasize its cozy character.

An interesting effect is achieved if photo wallpaper with a city panorama is placed in a frame that imitates a window frame. The built-in lamps in the upper part in the photo below emphasize and realistically imitate the atmosphere of a night city outside the window with lights and glare.

Height

You should not hang pictures too high, otherwise it will be impossible to admire them. The following universal technique will help you correctly determine the location of the canvas. Draw an imaginary line, step back 3 cm from the bottom edge of the horizontal picture, and hang the canvas so that the line is at eye level. The same principle applies to vertical canvases. But if the apartment has low ceilings, then the distance should be 6 cm from the edge.

Important! It is also necessary to take into account the distance between the walls. There is a separate rule here. The size of the larger side of the canvas must be multiplied by 3 - this is the minimum recommended distance for viewing the canvas.

Grouping

If there is a large wall in the kitchen, and the paintings are small, it is better to place them in groups, around one canvas that you like the most. The group should include paintings similar in style or color scheme. For example, a series of batiks, united by one theme.

Important! In a group of three paintings, the middle canvas is the main one.

Canvases of the same size are most often hung in one row at an equal distance from each other. But they look more interesting when they weigh at different levels.

Often people perceive canvases as elements of classical painting that require a large amount of space on the wall. They should not be covered with furniture or other decorative items.

What other technique for hanging pictures can be used in the kitchen or any other room? A continuous trellis grouping, when the canvases cover the entire wall.

Important! To decide how to properly hang canvases on the wall, you should first create a composition on the floor and then transfer it to the interior. But it’s definitely not worth hanging a lot of canvases “by height” in the direction of increasing or decreasing. This is a sign of bad taste.

Filling empty corners in the apartment

Not all corners require finishing and cladding. Most of the internal joints remain unfinished, but the free space in them is successfully filled with various decorative elements.

Corner decor

Shelves and racks

Triangular racks and shelves will help turn a useless empty corner in the apartment into a convenient place to store things. They do an excellent job of organizing space and don’t look bulky or heavy. On the shelves you can place your favorite figurines, awards, stylish accessories that complement the interior, or just cute things. The shelves are well stocked with books. Their types are extremely diverse:

• wall;
• floor;
• built-in;
• hanging;
• whatnots.

The most problematic rooms in an apartment in terms of storing things are the hallway, kitchen, and bathroom. It is here that most often residents do not know how to place all the necessary things compactly without compromising the appearance. Here are some tips: in the hallway, corner shelves can simultaneously serve as a hanger for clothes or a stand for shoes and bags, and in the kitchen they place small appliances and dishes.

Modern designers offer many unusual ways of arranging shelves in corners, as well as using them together with shelving. They can be continued on the walls, even running along the entire perimeter of the room.

Corner rack will accommodate many useful little things

An external corner shelf will house decorative elements and protect the walls from frequent contact.

Floor vases and flowers

Vases with a height of more than 40 cm are considered floor vases. Vases have been an item of luxury and prosperity since antiquity; today they also have the meaning of well-being. They are often used as decoration for expensive interiors. Floor vessels can be of different shapes:

• vase;
• pot;
• jug;
• bottle.

Corner decor

With different textures, from different materials, for example:

• ceramics;
• porcelain;
• tree;
• glass;
• metal.

Corner decor with lamp

It is better to give preference to heavier, unbreakable materials, but if you decide to choose, for example, a glass vessel, you can fill it for stability by pouring some stone (pebbles), shells or sand into the bottom. Also, expensive and especially valuable vases can be placed on special stands. Containers can be an independent decorative element or contain artificial or fresh flowers, natural and decorative branches, and bamboo stems. The filling of the vase can be changed depending on the mood, season and other factors. If one pot looks distant in the corner, you can add “companions” to it.

Fresh flowers in pots are an integral element of almost any home. Large and massive plants will successfully take place in the corner, filling the room with greenery and beauty, making it cozier and more comfortable.

A vase filled with natural or artificial branches will perfectly fill the space near external or internal corners, and will also decorate the interior Corner furniture

Such products have been in particular demand in recent decades, as they allow rational use of space. Corner furniture will look great not only in a small room, but also in a very spacious one, helping to get rid of empty, useless joints. First, kitchen sets gained popularity, but today all sorts of options are known: sofas, cabinets and even entire workplaces consisting of a computer desk, cabinets and shelves.

Corner decor

The walls will advantageously fill the free space and accommodate many useful little things, necessary gizmos and even equipment. Cabinets and walls in the hallway and living room will allow you to place even large items in this place and can easily replace a dressing room or storage room.

The corner sofa itself is larger than usual; it can accommodate more people.

An interesting design solution: in one move, a corner cabinet turns into a compact, comfortable workspace

Lamps and figurines

Lamps and figurines, successfully matched to a specific style, will complement the interior design. If you place them in the corners, this will significantly enliven the space and complete the image of the room. Lighting fixtures and various decorative figures can be placed absolutely independently in a corner or on any other structure (on a shelf, bookcase, chest of drawers, in a closet, etc.). If you decide to choose a floor-standing option, then the main rule applies - it must be stable enough for its size and “withstand” in the event of unexpected mechanical interactions with it.

Corner decor

Mirrors

A mirror in the corner will be an excellent option, as it will help to visually “smooth out” it, thereby filling the space, and will also create the illusion of additional expansion of the room. It can be independent or be an element of some corner furniture. It is advisable to use two narrow mirror sheets, which are mounted at the junction of adjacent walls, which will radically change the geometric perception of space. Floor mirrors and screens will be an excellent addition to the decor of corners in the bedroom and hallway.

Corner decor

Fireplaces and stoves

The fireplace in the corner can be fake or real. More often they install artificial ones, less often it becomes a full-fledged heating device that runs on electricity or biofuel in apartments or traditionally on wood in private homes. If there is no heating element, the inside wall can be made mirrored.

Corner fireplace with artificial flame, successfully placing decorative elements on itself

Other decor

Don't know how else to decorate the corner of the wall in the room? There are many other simple ways:

• an art gallery or a thematic selection of photos;
• all kinds of decorative elements attached to the ceiling (pendants, lamps, flower pots);
• a full-fledged place to relax, consisting of a small sofa, pouf, armchair, bean bag;
• cage for rodents or birds.

You can also place an aquarium in the corner.

Original finishing of the outer corner with a built-in aquarium

How to hang a picture

Before hanging a picture in the kitchen, you need to prepare materials for attaching the canvas. A finishing nail 5 cm long will withstand various types of load. However, the anchor screw with a round head is considered the most optimal. If we are talking about a plasterboard wall, then the canvas should be placed on the frame stand. This is the most reinforced part of the wall under the plaster, bearing the main load. It can be determined using an electronic detector or manually. To do this, just tap on the surface in different places. Where the dull sound is located is where the stand is hidden.

Related article: Do-it-yourself wall painting: choosing and placing a picture

It is best to place the painting on brackets. How to determine the height at which the canvas should be placed has already been described earlier. Place the canvas against the wall to mark the mounting points. You need to make holes in them for the anchor screw using a small drill or a regular nail and hammer. Then you should place an anchor screw in the hole and secure it with a screwdriver. The canvas should be hung on the created mount in the kitchen or room.

Installation Tips

Do not overload the frame stand. One or two canvases can be hung on a wooden beam. The rest are better placed around.

• Before hanging pictures in the interior, you need to mark the distance between the canvases using a pencil and ruler or multi-colored stickers. During the installation process it will be easier to determine the location of the next panel.

• Arrange the pictures creatively. Six or seven canvases of different sizes will visually create the effect of increasing space. Experiment before hanging your canvases on the wall. But don't place them very high or low.

• Think through all the details in the interior. Small canvases will not look good in different rooms, so it is better to place them on one wall. Landscape photos give you more options than portrait paintings. Experiment with their placement in the interior until you find the best way.

• When designing where in the interior to hang a picture, consider the height of the furniture, shelving, the location of windows and the lighting of the room as a whole.

Subject VS Color

What comes first: palette or content? If the interior has a distinct stylistic theme, then you should select the canvas according to its content. In such cases, thematic and stylistic inconsistency is not acceptable.

For example, if the living room is decorated in an African style with a predominant beige and yellow palette, then an African woman with a blue turban would look more appropriate than an autumn forest. Color imbalance can be corrected with accessories. For example, hang a picture on the wall above the sofa, and put blue pillows on it. Even if color comes first, the plot remains important.

Related article: Homemade shell decor: 3 super ideas

Advice! Paintings with abstractions, portraits and plants are universal. They can be used in any room and even in the kitchen.

Interior with paintings on the wall: options for different styles

It's not enough to just take a picture you like and hang it on the wall. It is necessary to comply with the chosen interior style. The table shows the main directions and wishes for the content of the paintings.

Selection of canvas by color

Before properly hanging canvases on the wall, you need to make sure that they will fit into the interior. An ideal option if the canvases completely rhyme with the interior. Their images in color scheme repeat the colors in the setting. Most often, the canvas blends into the surroundings and goes unnoticed. But at the same time it performs the main function - it decorates an empty wall. Such a canvas can serve as a connecting element. For example, in a kitchen with green walls and purple furniture, an image of a lilac branch will connect the primary colors.

Plasterboard corner structures and niches

Thanks to plasterboard structures and niches, you can significantly change the geometry of the room. This will not make it smaller, but on the contrary, it can expand due to a more rounded shape and the elimination of excess empty space. Niches, including those containing additional plasterboard shelves, in the corners can be intended for:

• for books;
• under the TV;
• under the fireplace;
• under an aquarium;
• for figurines and toys.

Plasterboard structures without niches are an independent element that specifically serves to adjust the shape of the room.

Such niches round corners and visually expand it

What to avoid

Today, paintings in the interior are a tool for decorating the environment. The perception of the entire room depends on the size and location of the painting on the wall. Their very presence can change the usual way of life. According to Feng Shui, for a painting to bring happiness, you need to fall in love with the image.

Therefore, in interior design you should avoid:

• Aggressive subjects in the form of floods, fires, wild animals - such paintings change the positive energy.

• Images of elderly people and broken dishes will bring destructive energy into the house.

• In the kitchen or in any other room, you should not hang radically different images. Mixed energy will also not bring comfort.

• You can hang pictures of water in the kitchen. According to Feng Shui, such images attract financial flows. In the living room you should hang dynamic paintings with an active plot. If the room or kitchen is used for frequent gatherings of friends, then images of noble animals would be appropriate.

Advice! It is advisable to select solutions in blue and blue colors.

Correct placement of a painting on the wall (2 videos)

Ways to place paintings (40 photos)

Group location

This method will help harmoniously group small-sized paintings. In the center of the combination there will be a larger piece, and around it there will be smaller images. The works must be similar in style, theme and color. This option can produce the same effect as modular paintings that are fashionable today. These can be city or natural landscapes, favorite photos, images of flowers or other scenes. The main thing is that they give pleasant emotions and charge with positivity.

Advice. When deciding how to place the painting above the sofa in the living room, it is important to understand that it will certainly become an accent element of the room. Therefore, here you should start first of all from personal aesthetic tastes and only then pay attention to the execution technique, size, and plot.

One of the modern ways to decorate the space of a hall can be the use of paintings. The variety of available solutions opens up enormous scope for owners to be creative. But the most important thing is that the painting hung in the living room above the sofa (or a combination of paintings) pleases the owners and harmoniously complements the chosen design style, making the interior warmer and more comfortable.